Cryogenic shipping system

• US 5,321,955 A
• Filed: 12/22/1992
• Issued: 06/21/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Cryogenics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Cryogenics Incorporated
• Inventors: Leonard, Rex D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bennet, Henry A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kilner, C.
• Application Number:
  US07/995,124
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• Field of Search: 62/51.1, 62/60, 62/64, 62/78, 62/371, 62/373, 62/457.9, 220/901, 220/254, 220/342, 220/697
• US Class Current: 62/51.1
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 7/04 Heat insulating devices, e.g. jackets for flasks
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 13/06 Closures, e.g. cap, breakable member for autoclaves B01J3/03; closures for large containers in general B65D B65D90/54; for pressure vessels in general F16J13/00
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/0119 with flat end-piece
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/032 with substantially vertical main axis
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0391 by vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0629 Two walls
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0165 with handgrip
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0308 Protective caps
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2270/0509 "Dewar" vessels
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 3/08 by vacuum spaces, e.g. Dewar flask for household use A47J41/02
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 25/00 Charging, supporting, and discharging the articles to be cooled
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 3/107 portable, i.e. adapted to be carried personally

Abstract

A cryogenic shipping and storage system includes a cryogenic dewar having a top opening, one or more specimen holders suspended within the dewar, a top housing secured to dewar opening and forming a central opening corresponding with the top dewar opening to allow insertion and withdrawal of the one or more specimen holders, a plug adapted to engage the one or more specimen holders and close the central opening of the top housing, a top cover hingedly carried by the top housing over the central opening, and indicia provided on the top housing to identify each of the one or more specimen holders suspended within the dewar. The top housing includes means for detachably receiving and maintaining the spaced relationship of the one or more specimen holders suspended within the cryogenic dewar. The specimen holder includes an elongated support having a tortuously shaped portion to permit the unobstructed removal of the specimen holder from the interior of the dewar and a dewar-engaging portion projecting from the elongated support so that, when the specimen holder is suspended within the dewar, the specimen holder is urged by gravity away from contact with other specimen holders secured within the dewar.

Claims

1. A cryogenic dewar for shipping refrigerateable materials, said dewar including an outer casing and an inner vessel with each having small openings at their tops connected together by an air-tight neck portion forming an evacuable space between the outer casing and the inner vessel and a dewar opening into the inner vessel, said evacuable space containing thermal insulating material to inhibit the transfer of heat therethrough, characterized by:

a specimen holder comprising a canister having a central axis and an elongated support, said elongated support being connected at one end to one side of the canister and having at its other end a projecting portion extending generally over and beyond the central axis of the canister with a dewar-engaging portion that lies sufficiently beyond the central axis of the canister so that, when the specimen holder is suspended within the dewar through said dewar opening by the elongated support, the canister is urged by gravity in the direction of the projecting portion.

2. The cryogenic dewar of claim 1 characterized in that the elongated support of said canister includes a central tube of thermal insulating material into which the projecting portion is inserted at its upper end and a canister-connecting rod is inserted at its lower end.

3. The cryogenic dewar of claim 1 characterized in that said cryogenic dewar further includes a top housing adjacent said dewar opening for securing the specimen holder within said dewar.

4. The cryogenic dewar of claim 3 further characterized in that said top housing for securing said specimen holder within said cryogenic dewar includes frictional fitting means for detachably receiving the dewar-engaging portion of the elongated support of said specimen holder.

5. The cryogenic dewar of claim 1 further characterized in that the projecting portion of the elongated support of said material holder forms a fulcrum that engages the dewar adjacent the top opening so that when the specimen holder is suspended within the dewar, the canister is urged by gravity in the direction of the projecting portion of said elongated support.

6. The cryogenic dewar of claim 1 characterized in that said elongated support further includes means for preventing the specimen holder from snagging in the interior of the dewar as the specimen holder is being withdrawn from the interior of said dewar.

7. The cryogenic dewar of claim 6 further characterized in that said snag-prevention means includes a tortuously shaped portion of said elongated support located adjacent said canister.

8. The cryogenic dewar of claim 1 further characterized by a top housing secured over the top of the dewar opening, said top housing comprising an annular portion forming a central opening in communication with the dewar opening to allow the insertion and withdrawal of one or more specimen holders to and from the dewar, said annular portion further comprising a plurality of detent-forming portions circumferentially spaced about the central opening, each said detent-forming portion being adapted to releasably receive the dewar-engaging portion of the elongated support of said one or more specimen holders.

9. The cryogenic dewar of claim 8 characterized in that said annular portion further includes an annular rib circumferentially disposed between the central opening and plurality of detent-forming portions, said annular rib having a plurality of spaced radial passageways provided therein for freely receiving the projecting portions of the elongated supports of said material holders.

10. The cryogenic dewar of claim 8 further characterized by a plug member adapted to fit into and close the central opening of said top housing, said plug member including a plurality of vertical channels spaced about its periphery to maintain the circumferential spacing of the one or more specimen holders secured within said dewar.

11. The cryogenic dewar of claim 8 further characterized by a cover hingedly connected to said top housing, said cover including an integral releasable latch adapted to engage a latch-receiving opening provided in the periphery of said top housing to maintain the cover in a closed position, said latch having an opening formed therein for permitting said cover to be sealed in the closed position.

12. The cryogenic dewar of claim 8 characterized in that said top housing forms handle means for transporting said dewar.

13. In a sample holder employed in combination with a cryogenic storage dewar having a central opening therein, said sample holder including a canister with a central portion for carrying one or more refrigerateable samples and an elongated support attached to the canister at one end and having a projecting portion at its distal end for engaging said dewar and suspending said canister within the dewar from above the canister, the improvement wherein said projecting portion extends generally over and beyond the central portion of the canister and terminates in a downwardly bent dewar-engaging portion sufficiently beyond the central portion of the canister so that the canister is urged by gravity in the direction of the projecting portion, and said elongated support further includes a bent shape portion adjacent said canister that extends slightly outwardly from the elongated support and away from said canister.

14. A top housing for a cryogenic shipping vessel, said shipping vessel comprising a cryogenic dewar having a top opening for insertion and removal of sample holders, each said sample holder having a dewar-engaging support extending over the sample holder, said top housing comprising an annular portion forming a central opening in communication with the top opening of said dewar and means for detachably securing a plurality of sample holders within the dewar comprising a plurality of detent-forming portions formed in said annular portion at its top and circumferentially spaced about the central opening of said top housing for frictionally and detachably receiving the dewar-engaging supports so that the sample holders are urged by gravity in the direction of the dewar-engaging supports.

15. The top housing for a cryogenic storage vessel of claim 14 wherein said annular portion further includes an annular rib provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced passageways for freely receiving the dewar-engaging support of each of said sample holders, each of said passageways being radially aligned with one of said plurality of detent-forming portions.

16. The top housing for a cryogenic storage vessel as in claim 14 further including indicia for identifying each of the sample holders stored within said dewar.

17. A liquid cryogenic shipping container comprising:

a dewar for storing a liquid cryogen including an outer casing and an inner vessel, each having an opening at their respective tops;

a neck portion providing a gas-tight connection between the openings of the outer casing and the inner vessel and forming with said outer casing and inner vessel an evacuable intervening space;

thermal insulation disposed between the outer casing and the inner vessel for inhibiting heat transfer therebetween;

at least one specimen holder adapted to be suspended within the liquid cryogen,

said specimen holder including a cylindrical canister having an open upper end, a perforated lower base, and an elongated support connected at one side of the canister adjacent the open upper end and extending generally parallel with a central longitudinal axis of said canister, said elongated support having at its distal end a projecting portion extending generally over and beyond the central longitudinal axis of the canister and having a dewar-engaging portion that lies sufficiently beyond the central longitudinal axis so that, when the specimen holder is suspended within the dewar, gravity urges said specimen holder in the direction of the projecting portion, said elongated support further having in its end adjacent the canister a bent portion that extends slightly outwardly from the elongated support;

a top housing secured over the opening of the dewar including an annular portion forming a central opening corresponding with the top opening of said dewar to allow the insertion and withdrawal of said specimen holders, at least one detent-forming portion circumferentially spaced from the central opening adapted to releasably receive the dewar-engaging portion of the elongated support of the specimen holder, and an annular rib disposed between the central opening and the at least one detent-forming portion, including at least one radial passageway for freely receiving the dewar-engaging portion of said at least one specimen holder, said at least one radial passageway being aligned radially with said at least one detent-forming portion;

a plug adapted to fit into and close the central opening of said top housing, said plug including at least one vertically grooved channel in its periphery to engage the elongated support of said at least on specimen holder and inhibit movement of the specimen holder during movement of the dewar;

a cover hingedly carried by said top housing over said central opening, including an integrally molded latch to engage a latch-receiving opening formed in said top housing to releasably secure the cover in a closed portion, said latch and top housing having cooperating openings to permit the cover to be locked in the closed position; and

indicia means provided on the top housing of the dewar for identifying said at least one specimen holder suspended within said dewar.

18. A top housing for a cryogenic shipping vessel, said shipping vessel comprising a cryogenic dewar having a top opening for insertion and removal of sample holders, each said sample holder including a dewar-engaging support, said top housing comprising a annular portion forming a central opening in communication with a top opening of said dewar, means for detachably securing said sample holders comprising a plurality of detent-forming portions circumferentially spaced about the central opening of said top housing for frictionally and detachably receiving the dewar-engaging supports of said sample holders and an annular rib provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced passageways for freely receiving the dewar-engaging support of each of the sample holders, each of the passageways being radially aligned with one of the plurality of detent-forming portions.